Firefighters make gains on blazes in Yolo, Napa, Lake counties

Firefighters battling rugged terrain and hot, windy weather Saturday inched up containment to 55 percent on the persistent County fire burning in Napa and Yolo counties, Cal Fire said.

The blaze, which broke out eight days ago, grew slightly as crews made progress building containment lines around the fire burning east of Lake Berryessa that has now covered 88,425 acres, the agency said Saturday night.

Steep and inaccessible terrain made work hard for firefighters along the northern portion of the blaze, combined with heat, low humidity and winds that are expected to continue through the weekend, Cal Fire said.

The fire has destroyed 15 structures, and 110 were threatened Saturday night. The damage report may change as inspection teams continue surveying areas where fire activity has diminished, Cal Fire said.

The Napa County Sheriff’s Office allowed residents to return to their homes Saturday night in an evacuated area along the eastern shore of Lake Berryessa east to the Napa and Yolo county line, north of Highway 128 and south of the intersection of East Side Road and Knoxville Berryessa Road.

No injuries have been reported in the fire that started June 30 in the grasslands of Capay Valley south of the small town of Guinda on Highway 16 and quickly moved into the hills of western Yolo County. The blaze is expected to be fully contained Thursday.

More than 2,850 firefighters worked the County fire, with 176 engines, 51 water tenders, 23 helicopters, 61 hand crews and 48 bulldozers deployed Saturday night.

In Lake County, the Pawnee fire was 96 percent contained Saturday night, and is expected to be fully contained by Tuesday, Cal Fire said.

The blaze northeast of Clearlake Oaks has consumed ?15,185 acres and destroyed 22 structures. One firefighter was injured.

Firefighters were planning to patrol and maintain the fire perimeter overnight and through today, Cal Fire said Saturday night.

There were 417 people assigned to the fire, with 10 engines, eight water tenders, one helicopter, two hand crews and one bulldozer involved.

In Siskiyou County, the Klamathon fire near the California-Oregon border had consumed ?22,000 acres and was 20 percent contained, Cal Fire said Saturday night.

The blaze killed one person after it erupted Thursday south of Hornbrook on Interstate 5 between Yreka and the Oregon border. It has destroyed 72 structures and continues to threaten about 600 homes in the communities of Hornbrook and Hilt, California and Colestin, Oregon, which have all been evacuated. Water systems in Yreka and Hornbrook are threatened, as well, Cal Fire said.

More than 2,350 personnel are assigned to the fire.

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 707-521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @guykovner. You can reach Staff Writer Hannah Beausang at 707-521-5214 or hannah.beausang@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @hannahbeausang.